Judeo-Christian Demons

Judeo-Christian demons

Adramelech

The name Adramelech (also Adrammalech) appears
in the Old Testament only twice. The first time, he is mentioned
as a son of the Assyrian King Sennacharib along with Sharezer, who
murdered their father while he was worshiping in the temple of his
idol, Nisrach. The second time Adramelech is mentioned is in the
context of a Samarian sun god who was worshipped by the Sepharvites.

'the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned
their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelech and Anammelech,
the gods of Sepharvaim.' - 2 Kings 17:31

Asmodeus

Asmodeus, also known as Ashmadia, most likely originated
from the Persian Aeshma-deva ("demon of waith").

The apocryphal
Book of Tobit (http://www.hti.umich.edu/bin/rsv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=3785365) describes an instance where Raguel's daughter,
Sarah, was tormented by the demon. She was married to seven times,
each time the Asmodeus killed off the husband before they could
have intercourse. Sarah, was about to hang herself in grief, but
decided against it after thinking about the shame it would cause
her father. She then prayed to God for death.

God answered her prayer by sending the angel, Raphael,
to her aid. He instructed Tobiah to place fish liver and heart on
the embers for incense. Asmodeus was repelled by the odor:

"The demon, repelled by the odor of the fish, fled into
Upper Egypt; Raphael pursued him there and bound him hand and
foot." - Tobit 8:3

'Better pleased Than Asmodeus with the fishy fume That drove him,
though enamoured, from the spouse Of Tobit's son, and with a vengeance
sent From Media post to Egypt, there fast bound." Milton:
Paradise Lost , iv. 167--71.

In the Testament of Solomon (dated 1st - 3rd centuries
CE) , Solomon invokes Asmodeus to aid in the construction of the
Temple. The demon appears and predicts Solomon's kingdom will one
day be divided.

"My constellation (is like an animal which) reclines in
its den in heaven; some men call me the Great Bear, but others
the Offspring of a Dragon. Moreover, a smaller constellation accompanies
my constellation, for the high position and throne of my father
is always in the sky. So do not ask me so many things, Solomon,
for eventually your kingdom will be divided. This glory of yours
is temporary. You have us to torture for a little while; then
we shall disperse among human beings again with the result that
we shall be worshiped as gods because men do not know the names
of the angels who rule over us." -TSol 5:4-5

After Asmodeus had spoken, Solomon ordered him
to state his name and activities, to which the demon responded that
he:

"Is always hatching plots against newlyweds; I mar the beauty
of virgins and cause their hearts to grow cold" - TSol 5:7

When Solomon interrogated Asmodeus further, he
learned that Asmodeus was thwarted by the angel, Raphael, as well
as sheatfish found in the rivers of Assyria. He also admitted he
hated water.

Asmoday appears later in Mather's translation of
the Goetia: the Lesser Key of Solomon as the
32th spirit (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/asmoday.asp).

Astarte/Astaroth

Astaroth/Astarot is derived from Ashtoreth of 1
Kings 11:5 "the goddess of the Sidonians." The name is
derived from the goddess Astarte with the ending distorted to closely
resemble the Hebrew boshet, meaning "shame." The name
should not be associated with the Hebrew "Asherah"/"Ashura",
the consort of Yahweh. Other interpretations translate "Astoreth"
as "lady", similar to that of Baal, which means "lord."
A Babylonian title of hers is Qadesh, similar to Qadishtu, meaning
harlot.

Astarte was the goddess of love, fertility, and
war. In Egypt, she might have been the daughter of the sun god Ra
or Ptah, & is sometimes identified as the goddess Ah or Ast
(Isis). She may also be identified with the Sumerian goddess Innini.

Astarte is depicted in a number of ways, sometimes
with the head of a lioness, cow, or bull. Sometimes she carries
a shield and club as she rides into battle naked on her horse or
driving her chariot.

Astarte corresponds to the Arabian male deity,
Athtar, is identified with Aphrodite, Mylitta, and sometimes Tyche,
as well as the Assyrian Istaru.

Astaroth appears later in Mather's translation
of the Goetia: the Lesser Key of Solomon as the
29th spirit (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/astaroth1.asp).

Azazel

Azazel is the chief of the Se'irim, or goat-demons,
who haunted the desert and to whom most primitive Semitic (most
likely non-Hebrew) tribes offered sacrifices. The Old Testament
states that Jeroboam appointed priests for the Se'irim. But Josiah
destroyed the places of their worship, as the practices accompanying
this worship involved copulation of women with goats.

The Se'irim, or hairy demons as the word itself
means, are mentioned in Leviticus 17:7 and 2 Chronicles 11:15 as
"goat-demons". Isaiah 34:14 says that the "goat-demons"
greet each other amoung the ruins of Edom along with
Lilith (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/lilith.asp) and other wild beasts.

The name 'Azazel' may be derived from 'azaz' and
'el' meaning 'strong one of God.' It is thought that Azazel may
have been derived from the Canaanite god, 'Asiz, who caused the
sun to burn strongly. It has also been theorized that he has been
influenced by the Egyptian god, Seth.

In Leviticus 16:8 we are told that the Lord ordered
his high priest, Aaron, to 'place lots upon the two goats, one marked
for the Lord and the other marked for Azazel' on the Jewish Day
of Atonement. The goat designated by lot for the Lord is to be used
as a sin offering, while the goat designated for Azazel "shall
be left standing alive before the Lord, to make expiation with it
and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel." (Lev 16:10)
Aaron was to "lay both his hands upon the head of the live
goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of
the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of
the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness through a designated
an. Thus the goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible
region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness."
(Lev 16:21-22) Leviticus also says that "He who set the Azazel-goat
free shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that
he may reenter the camp." (16:26)

From this passage in Leviticus, it would seem that
Azazel is conceived of as a personal being, as lots were drawn for
the Lord and for him. Also, Leviticus mentions that Azazel lives
in the wilderness, as do the Se'irim. Because of this ritual, Azazel
is known as the "scapegoat." The goat that is sent to
Azazel is not as a sacrifice, but as a symbol that there is no longer
any unexpiated guilt. Both the goat and the man who leads away the
goat are unclean, and the only way the man can reenter the camp
is by washing his clothes and bathing.

In one account of the fall of the angels in the
Book
of Enoch (http://www.bible2000.org/lostbooks/enoch1b.htm), Azazel (Asa'el as in the
Qumran (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/religion/judaism_enoch.asp) texts) is the leader of the
Watchers (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/watchers.asp) who educates humankind of heavenly secrets that
lead humankind to sin. These teachings include making weapons of
war and preparing cosmetics, which enabled the women to seduce the
angels. The angels then charge Asa'el before the Lord with crimes
of revealing the heavenly secrets which mankind was not supposed
to know. Raphael was then assigned to punish Asa'el by binding him
hand and foot and throwing him into the darkness among the sharp
and jagged rocks, where he would remain until the day of judgment
when he would be hurled into the fire. The story then claims that
"the whole earth has been corrupted by [Asa'el's] teachings
of his (own) actions; and write upon him all sin." . It was
because of Asa'el's teachings that God sent the Flood to destroy
the evil in the world including even the souls of the giants, so
that all evil will be wiped away from the face of the earth.

"And Azazel taught the people (the art of) making swords
and knives, and shields, and breastplates; and he showed to their
chosen ones bracelets, decorations, (shadowing of the eye) with
antimony, ornamentation, the beautifying of the eyelids, all kinds
of precious stones, and all coloring tinctures and alchemy."
- 1 Enoch 8:1

In the Apocalypse of Abraham, Azazel is portrayed
as an unclean bird which came down upon the sacrifice which Abraham
prepared. This is in reference to Genesis 15:11 "Birds of prey
came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away."

"And the unclean bird spoke to me and said, 'What are you
doing, Abraham, on the holy heights, where no one eats of drinks,
nor is there upon them food for men. But these all will be consumed
by fire and ascend to the height, they will destroy you.' And
it came to pass when I saw the bird speaking I said this to the
angel: 'What is this, my lord?' And he said, 'This is disgrace,
this is Azazel!' And he said to him, 'Shame on you Azazel! For
Abraham's portion is in heaven, and yours is on earth, for you
have selected here, (and) become enamored of the dwelling place
of your blemish. Therefore the Eternal Ruler, the Mighty One,
has given you a dwelling on earth. Through you the all-evil spirit
(is) a liar, and through you (are) wrath and trials on the generations
of men who live impiously." - Apocalypse of Abraham 13:4-9

The Apocalypse of Abraham also associates Azazel
with Hell. Abraham says to him "May you be the firebrand of
the furnace of the earth! Go, Azazel, into the untrodden parts of
the earth. For your heritage is over those who are with you"
(14:5-6) There is also the idea that God's heritage (the created
world) is largely under the dominion of evil. It is "shared
with Azazel" (20:5) Azazel is also identified with the serpent
which tempted Eve. His form is described as a dragon with "hands
and feet like a man's, on his back six wings on the right and six
on the left." (23:7)

Finally, the Apocalypse of Abraham says that the
wicked will "putrefy in the belly of the crafty worm Azazel,
and be burned by the fire of Azazel's tongue." (31:5) Here
again, there is another reference to Azazel as being Hell.

Enoch at Qumran (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/religion/judaism_enoch.asp) - Another essay I wrote on the Enochic
fragments found at Qumran which contains info on the fall of Azazel
in 1 Enoch.

Beelzebub

Ba'al-zebub, also called Beelzebub or Beelzebul
is known as the 'prince of demons' in the Synoptic Gospels during
the accusations of the Pharisees against Jesus.

"The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, 'He is possessed
by Beelzebul,' and 'By the prince of demons he drives out demons.'
- Mk 3:22

"This man drives out demons only by the power of Beelzebul,
the prince of demons." - Mt 12:24

"Some of them said 'By the power of Beelzebul, the prince
of demons, he drives out demons." - Lk 11:15

The name Ba'al-zebub is associated with the Philistine
city of Ekron. In 2 Kings, after Moab rebelled against Israel, Ahaziah
had fallen and injured himself. To find out if he'd recover from
the injury he sent out messengers, telling them:

"Go and inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether
I shall recover from this injury." - 2 Kings 1:2

The Lord, however sent Elijah to intercept the
messengers on their way to Ekron, asking them if they seek Baalzebub's
advice because there is no God of Israel and instructing them to
return home and inform their master that he shall not recover.

Ba'alzebub's name derives from the Canaanite "Baal"
meaning "lord," and he is known as the "lord of the
flies"

In the Testament of Solomon (1st-3rd centuries
CE), Solomon learns that Beelzeboul is one of the fallen angels
who destroys by means of tyrants, causes demons to be worshipped,
arouses desires in priests, brings about jealousies and murders,
and instigates wars. The other demon he refers to as being imprisoned
in the Red Sea is the one-winged demon,, Abezethibou, Moses' adversary
in Egypt.

"Then I summoned Beelzeboul to appear before me again. When
he was seated, I thought it appropriate to ask him, 'Why are you
alone Prince of the Demons?' He replied, 'Because I am the only
one left of the heavenly angels (who fell). I was the highest-ranking
angel in heaven, the one called Beelzeboul. There is also accompanied
me another ungodly (angel) whom God cut off and now, imprisoned
here, he holds in his power the race of those bound by me in Tartarus.
He is being nurtured in the Red Sea; when he is ready, he will
come in triumph."

"I said to him, 'What are your activities?' He replied, 'I
bring destruction by means of tyrants; I cause the demons to be
worshiped alongside men; and I arouse desire in holy men and select
priests. I bring about jealousies and murders in a country, and
I instigate wars." - TSol 6:1-4

Beelzeboul then prophecizes that the wind demon,
Ephippas will bind the demon imprisoned in the Red Sea and bring
him out of the abyss. He then tells Solomon that he is thwarted
by the Almighty God and the oath "the Elo-i".

"Then I said, 'Tell me which angel thwarts you.' 'The Almighty
God,' he replied. 'He is called by the Hebrews Patike, the one
who descends from the heights' he is (called) by the Greeks Emmanouel.
I am always afraid of him, and trembling. If anyone adjures me
with the oath (called) 'the Elo-i', a great name for his power,
I disappear." - TSol 6:8

"I, said to him, 'Tell me by what angel you are thwarted.'
And he replied, 'By the holy and precious name of the almighty
God, the one called by the Hebrews by a row of numbers, or which
the sum is 644, and among the Greeks, it is Emmanouel. And if
one of the Romans adjure me by the great name of power, Eleeth,
I disappear. " - TSol 6:8 MS P

Finally, Beelzeboul informs Solomon about heavenly
things.

"Listen, King, if you burn oil of myrrh, frankincense, and
bulbs of the sea along with spikenard and saffron, and light seven
lamps during an earthquake, you will strengthen (your) house.
And if, being ritually clean, you light (them) at the crack of
dawn, just before the sun comes up, you will see the heavenly
dragons and the way the wriggle along and pull the chariot of
the sun." - TSol 6:10-11

According to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus
(5th century CE), after Christ's crucifixion, Satan/Beelzebub is
depicted conversing with Hell about how he would now bring Christ
down to Hades. While conversing, Christ frees Adam and those residing
in Hades and then ascended with them into paradise. Hell then rebukes
Satan:

"Then Hell, receiving Satan the prince, with sore reproach
said unto him: O prince of perdition and chief of destruction,
Beelzebub, the scorn of the angels and spitting of the righteous
why wouldest thou do this? Thou wouldest crucify the King of glory
and at his decease didst promise us great spoils of his death:
like a fool thou knewest not what thou didst. For behold now,
this Jesus putteth to flight by the brightness of his majesty
all the darkness of death, and hath broken the strong depths of
the prisons, and let out the prisoners and loosed them that were
bound. And all that were sighing in our torments do rejoice against
us, and at their prayers our dominions are vanquished and our
realms conquered, and now no nation of men feareth us any more.
And beside this, the dead which were never wont to be proud triumph
over us, and the captives which never could be joyful do threaten
us. O prince Satan, father of all the wicked and ungodly and renegades
wherefore wouldest thou do this? They that from the beginning
until now have despaired of life and salvation-now is none of
their wonted roarings heard, neither doth any groan from them
sound in our ears, nor is there any sign of tears upon the face
of any of them. O prince Satan, holder of the keys of hell, those
thy riches which thou hadst gained by the tree of transgression
and the losing of paradise, thou hast lost by the tree of the
cross, and all thy gladness hath perished. When thou didst hang
up Christ Jesus the King of glory thou wroughtest against thyself
and against me. Henceforth thou shalt know what eternal torments
and infinite pains thou art to suffer in my keeping for ever.
O prince Satan, author of death and head of all pride, thou oughtest
first to have sought out matter of evil in this Jesus: Wherefore
didst thou adventure without cause to crucify him unjustly against
whom thou foundest no blame, and to bring into our realm the innocent
and righteous one, and to lose the guilty and the ungodly and
unrighteous of the whole world? And when Hell had spoken thus
unto Satan the prince, then said the King of glory unto Hell:
Satan the prince shall be in thy power unto all ages in the stead
of Adam and his children, even those that are my righteous ones"
- Gospel of Nicodemus VII (XXIII)

Descensus ad Inferos (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/religion/descent.asp) - An essay I wrote on some of the
early accounts of Christ's mythic descent into hell during the
three days between his crucifixion & resurrection.

Behemoth

Behemoth, a spirit of the desert, possibly derives
from the Egyptian for "water buffalo" or from the Egyptian
deity, Taueret, about whom the Greek historian, Herodotus wrote.

In the Old Testament, the earliest description
is in the Book of Job, which describes Behemoth as follows:

'Behold Behemoth,
which I made as I made you;
he eats grass like an ox.
Behold, his strength is in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.
He is the first of the works of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beast play.
Under the lotus plant he lies,
in the covert of the reeds and in the marsh.
For his shade the lotus tree covers him
the willows of the brook surround him.
Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mough.
Can one take him with hooks,
or pierce his nose with a snare?'
-Job 40:15-24

1 (Ethiopic Apocalypse of) Enoch (dated second
century BCE - first century CE) gives the following description
of this demon's origins:

'And that day will two monsters be parted, one monster, a female
named
Leviathan (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/leviathan.asp) in order to dwell in the abyss of the ocean over
the fountains of water; and (the other), a male called Behemoth,
which holds his chest in an invisible desert whose name is Dundayin,
east of the garden of Eden.' - 1 Enoch 60:7-8

Also 4Edras 6:47-52 (dated late 1st century CE)
states that on the fifth day, after God had commanded the water
to create living creatures:

"Then you kept in existence two living creatures; the name
of one you called Behemoth and the name of the other Leviathan.
And you separated one from the other, for the seventh part where
the water had been gathered together could not hold them both.
And you gave Behemoth one of the parts which had been dried up
on the third day, to live in it, where there are a thousand mountains;
but to Leviathan you have the seventh part, the watery part; and
you have kept them to be eaten by whom you wish, and when you
wish" - 4Edras 6:49-52

John Milton writes about the birth of Behemoth
in his epic, "Paradise
Lost (http://elf.chaoscafe.com/milton/)" living creatures, both good and evil:

453 Each in their kind. The Earth obeyed, and straight
454 Opening her fertile womb teemed at a birth
455 Innumerous living creatures, perfect forms,
456 Limbed and full grown: Out of the ground up rose,
457 As from his lair, the wild beast where he wons
458 In forest wild, in thicket, brake, or den;
459 Among the trees in pairs they rose, they walked:
460 The cattle in the fields and meadows green:
461 Those rare and solitary, these in flocks
462 Pasturing at once, and in broad herds upsprung.
463 The grassy clods now calved; now half appeared
464 The tawny lion, pawing to get free
465 His hinder parts, then springs as broke from bonds,
466 And rampant shakes his brinded mane; the ounce,
467 The libbard, and the tiger, as the mole
468 Rising, the crumbled earth above them threw
469 In hillocks: The swift stag from under ground
470 Bore up his branching head: Scarce from his mould
471 Behemoth biggest born of earth upheaved
472 His vastness: Fleeced the flocks and bleating rose,
473 As plants: Ambiguous between sea and land
474 The river-horse, and scaly crocodile.
- Paradise Lost - Book VII 453-474

Belial

Among certain sections of the Jews, Belial was
considered the chief of all the devils. In The War of the Sons
of Light and the Sons of Darkness (1QM), one of the Dead Sea
scrolls, Belial is the leader of the Sons of Darkness:

'But for corruption thou hast made Belial, an angel of hostility.
All his dominions are in darkness, and his purpose is to bring
about wickedness and guilt. All the spirits that are associated
with him are but angels of destruction.'

Belial is also mentioned in the Fragments of
a Zadokite Work (which is also known as The Damascus Document
(CD)), which states that at the time of the Antichrist, "Belial
shall be let loose against Israel, as God spake through Isaiah the
prophet." (6:9). The Fragments also speak of "three
nets of Belial" which are said to be fornication, wealth, and
polution of the sanctuary. (6:10-11) In this work, Belial is sometimes
presented as an agent of divine punishment and sometimes as a rebel,
as
Mastema (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/mastema.asp) is. It was Belial who inspired the Egyptian sorcerers,
Jochaneh and his brother, to oppose Moses and Aaron. The Fragments
also say that anyone who is ruled by the spirits of Belial and speaks
of rebellion should be condemned as a necromancer and wizard.

Belial is also mentioned in the Testament of the
Twelve Patriarchs. The author of the work seems to be a dualist
because he presents Belial as God's opponent, not as a servant,
but does not mention how or why this came to be. Simeon 5:3 says
that fornication separates man from God and brings him near to Beliar.
Levi tells his children to choose between the Law of God and the
works of Beliar (Levi 19:1) It also states that when the soul is
constantly disturbed, the Lord departs from it and Beliar rules
over it. Naphtali (2:6, 3:1) contrasts the Law and will of God with
the purposes of Beliar. Also, in 20:2, Joseph prophesies that when
Israel leaves Egypt, they will be with God in light while Beliar
will remain in darkness with the Egyptians. Finally, the Testament
describes that when the Messiah comes, the angels will punish the
spirits of deceit and Beliar (3:3) and that the Messiah will bind
Beliar and give to his children the power to trample the evil spirits
(18:12).

The
Martyrdom of Isaiah (http://wesley.nnc.edu/noncanon/ot/pseudo/amartis.htm), Belial is the angel of lawlessness and
is the ruler of this world.

"And Manasseh turned aside his heart to serve Beliar; for
the angel of lawlessness, who is the ruler of this world, is Beliar,
whose name is Matanbuchus." - Martyrdom of Isaiah 2:4

Belial appears later in Mather's translation of
the Goetia: the Lesser Key of Solomon as the
68th spirit (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/belial1.asp).

Dualism in the Dead Sea Scrolls (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/religion/dualism.asp) - An essay I wrote on
the dualism presented in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Leviathan

The Apocryphal Book of Enoch gives the following
description of this monster's origins:

'And that day will two monsters be parted, one monster, a female
namedLeviathan in order to dwell in the abyss of the ocean over
the fountains of water; and (the other), a male called
Behemoth (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/behemoth.asp), which holds his chest in an invisible desert whose
name is Dundayin, east of the garden of Eden.' - 1 Enoch 60:7-8

Leviathan was a large whale-like sea creature,
who may have had 7 heads according to some legends. A lengthy description
of him comes from the Book of Job:

'His strong scales are his pride,
Shut up as with a tight seal.
One is so near to another
That no air can come between them.
They are joined one to another;
They clasp each other and cannot be separated.
His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like
the eyelids of the morning.
Out of his mouth go burning torches;
Sparks of fire leap forth.
Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth.
In his neck lodges strength,
And dismay leaps before him.
The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm on him and immovable. His heart is as hard as a stone,
Even as hard as a lower millstone.
When he raises himself up, the mighty fear;
Because of the crashing they are bewildered.
The sword that reaches him cannot avail,
Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.
He regards iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood.
The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones are turned into stubble for him.
Clubs are regarded as stubble;
He laughs at the rattling of the javelin.
His underparts are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mire.
He makes the depths boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.
Behind him he makes a wake to shine;
One would think the deep to be gray-haired.
Nothing on earth is like him,
One made without fear.
He looks on everything that is high;
He is king over all the sons of pride.'
- Job 42:15-32

Also, according to Isaiah 27:1, on the Day
of Judgement the Lord will slay Leviathan:

'In that day the Lord will punish,
With His great, cruel, mighty sword
Leviathan the Elusive Serpent--
Leviathan the Twisting Serpent;
He will slay the Dragon of the sea.'

According to a passage in the T.B. Baba Bathra
(75a), at the time of the resurrection, Gabriel will fight against
Leviathan and overcome.

However, in Psalms 74:26 God is praised
as having crushed the heads of Leviathan:

'it was You who crushed the heads of Leviathan,
who left him as food for the denizens of the desert'

In
Paradise Lost (http://elf.chaoscafe.com/milton), Milton mentions Leviathan twice referring to
his enormous size. (See Book 1 Line 207, & Book 7 Line 412)

Lilith

In the Babylonian tradition, there is a triad of
demons with whom Lilith is associated. The male is called Lilu,
and the two females are Lilitu, a frigid, barren, & husbandless
demon who roamed the night searching for men to seduce or drink
their blood, and Ardat Lili, the 'maid of desolation.'

Lilith is thought be the demon of waste places
who originally lived in the garden of the Sumerian goddess, Innana,
queen of heaven. She is mentioned only briefly in the Hebrew Bible
in Isaiah 34:14.

In Jewish traditions, Lilith was created with Adam
from the dust of the earth, & became his first wife. She was
stubborn, though, & refused to be subservient to her husband.
Instead of becoming Adam's servant, she left him & was turned
out of Paradise. However, before God created Eve, He sent 3 angels
to try to convince Lilith to return to Adam. She refused, &
God cursed her by sentencing 100 of her offspring to die each day.
After her expulsion from Paradise, however, she slept once more
with Adam, & bore the Shedim, Lilin, & Rauchin.

Later, in Kabbalistic circles, Lilith became the
mistress of Sammael.

It is mistakenly thought that Lilith's name was
derived from the Hebrew word lailah, which means 'night.' This was
probably derived from the similarity of the two words, and the idea
that Lilith was mostly active at night.

Lucifer

"How art thou fallen from heaven
O day-star, son of the morning! (Helel ben Shahar)
How art thou cast down to the ground,
That didst cast lots over the nations!
And thou saidst in thy heart:
'I will ascend into heaven,
Above the stars of God (El)
Will I exalt my throne;
And I will sit upon the mount of meeting,
In the uttermost parts of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will be like the Most High (Elyon).'
Yet thou shalt be brought dow to the nether-world,
To the uttermost parts of the pit."
- Isaiah 14:12-15

In Christian tradition, this passage is proof for
the fall of Lucifer. However, it may be that this passage is an
allusion to a Canaantie or Phoenician myth about Helel, who is the
son of the god Shahar. Helel sought the throne of the chief god
and was cast down into the abyss because of this. El, Elyon,
and Shahar are members of the Canaanite pantheon, while the
"mount of meeting" is the abode of the gods, which corresponds
to Mount Olympus in Greek mythology. There is a Ugaritic poem about
two divine children, Shachar (dawn) and Shalim (dusk), who were
born as the result of the intercourse of the god El with mortal
women. There are, however, no Canaanite sources that tell about
Helel ben Shahar or a revolt against Elyon.

Many Apocalyptic writers interpreted this passage
as referring to Lucifer, and wrote about the fall of the angels.
1 Enoch refers to the falling angels as stars (see the
watchers (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology/watchers.asp)) and may be the beginning of the overlap between the
story of the watchers and Isaiah.

The name 'Lucifer' means light-bearer, and is not
used in the New Testament, where the "bearer of light"
is Christ. He was once one of the Seraphim (sometimes called the
fiery, flying serpents).

Later authors, such as St. Jerome, associate Ezekial
28:13-15 with Lucifer, the greatest of the fallen angels. It has
been argued that this passage was actually addressed to Nebuchadrezzar.

"You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your adornment:
Carnelian, chrysolite, and amethyst;
Beryl, lapis lazuli, and jasper;
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald;
And gold beautifully wrought for you,
Mined for you, prepared the day you were created.
I created you as a cherub
With outstretched shielding wings;
And you resided on God's holy mountain;
You walked among stones of fire.
You were blameless in your ways,
From the day you were created
Until wrongdoing was found in you
By your far-flung commerce
You were filled with lawlessness
And you sinned.
So I have struck you down
From the mountain of God,
And I have destroyed you, O shielding cherub,
From among the stones of fire."

Later interpretations of the fall tell that Lucifer
was upset because God the Father made Lucifer's brother, Jesual,
the Son. From his head, he gave birth to Sin, and by copulating
with her, fathered Death. He was then cast out of heaven.

There are characters similar to Lucifer in other
mythologies. In Egypt, there is a serpent god, Sata, whi is father
of lightning and who likewise fell to earth. A Babylonian god, Zu,
was also a lightning god who fell as a fiery flying serpent.

Mephistophiles

Mephistophiles is the name of the devil in the
Faust myths of the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance. During
this period, there was a revival in the popularity of the Devil
with the Protestant Reformation, which emphasized the Bible as the
sole authority on religious matters, & thus greater emphasis
on the New Testament concept of evil. Labels were thrown around
between the Protestants and the Catholics - both claiming the other
was the tool of the Devil, with Protestants claiming the Pope was
the Antichrist. Rumors of Witchcraft and Satanism ran wild.

New beliefs came to light during this time contributing
to this phenomenon, stressing the importance of the individual's
choice of free will in following God or the Devil over previous
notions of the cosmic battle between God and the Devil. God would
still be there to protect the individual, but if the individual
was weak in faith, it was seen as an open invitation to the Devil.

Martin Luther struggled with the concept of the
Devil and evil in relation to an omnipotent God, coming close to
arguing that the Devil was just a manifestation of the evil side
of God (as Christ was the good side of God). He wrote that God's
will included the Devil as his tool doing God's work, and that he
would not exist if God had not created him. However, while the two
may appear to be doing the same will, their purpose is always different,
with God always working towards the ultimate good while the Devil's
intent was to destroy.

While the theology of the individual's struggle
between good and evil was circling, the poets and playwrights of
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries took to applying the classic
narratives such as the Iliad to Christian mythos, and openly embraced
the cosmic battle between Christ or Michael over the Devil &
his fallen angels at the beginning of the world, a concept that
was common to popular belief though not expressly written within
the Bible itself. Much of it was based on Jewish Midrash of the
fall of the Watchers or an interpretation of Revelation 12.

And then came Faust. Faust was a historical figure
who was turned into a legendary character throughout the years.
The earliest accounts of his life come from the beginnings of the
1500s. Faust studied philosophy and theology, went on to hermetic
magic and eventually ended up with fortune telling. With the theology
of the Protestant Reformation circling, many identified hermetic
magic, or any magic for that matter, as a prideful attempt at attaining
divine knowledge through the intellect & thus must be aided
by the Devil. Faust soon became associated with the Devil, and by
the end of the 1500s, rumors were spreading that he had made a pact
with the Devil.

The first book devoted entirely to Faust was written
by Johann Spiess in 1587 and came to be known as the Faustbook.
Faust, a scholar, desires to obtain knowledge and thus sells his
soul to the Devil - a parallel to the original sin of Adam and Eve
and their quest for the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge.
The spirit Faust invokes as a servant of Lucifer is Mephistophiles,
who agrees to aid Faust in this quest for twenty-four years if Faust
will make a pact written in blood to deny Christ and the Christian
people. When his time is up, Faust experiences a moment of piety
and summons his students and warns them against sin and temptation.
His actions are in vain, though, for the next morning, his mangled
body is found.

Another famous account of the Faust myth was written
by Christopher Marlowe in 1588-89 called Doctor Faustus. The structure
follows the Faustbook closely though Faust is portrayed in a clownish
way, with Faust's sin being pride and the moral of the story proclaiming
that lust for worldly fame and power ultimately leads to destruction.
Again, Faust's mutilated body is found by his students the morning
after his years of power have ended.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe transformed the Faust
myth significantly when he wrote his version of Faust during most
of his life (approx 1770-1832). Mephistophiles in this account is
portrayed anywhere from a minor demon to the Devil's equivalent
(or even the Devil himself) appearing both as God's opponent and
the instrument of God's divine will. Mephistophiles is presented
as the spirit of chaos, as a liar and trickster who can flatter
and coax. He hates beauty and fails to grasp the power of love.
He is proud and reenacts the part of the satan in Job, making a
bet with God to win over Faust's soul and asking God for permission
to put Faust to the test. Faust, himself, is eventually able to
redeem himself through his never ceasing to strive and give himself
over to sensual pleasure, and through his learning to love.

Moloch

Moloch, whose name probably was a derivative of
the Hebrew word for king, Molech, was known as a fire god through
out the Old Testament to whom children were sacrificed. He was referred
to as "the abomination of the children of Ammon" (1 Kings
11:7) and portrayed as one of the idol gods the Israelites worshipped.
Solomon was even said to have created a temple to him. (1 Kings
11:7)

Moloch (or Saturn-Moloch) is also identified with
Baal Hammon in Carthaginian religion, in which human sacrifice was
performed to appease the god. An example of a religious tablet reads
as such:

"To the Goddess to Tanath the countenance of Baal; To the
Lord to Baal Hammon, a man vowed, Even Abshamban, a votary of
Ashtarte and a filial Devotee of Ashmon: as thou hearest the supplication,
Do Thou Bless!"

Infants were not the only ones sacrificed in Carthage.
Justin writes:

"they used as a remedy a bloody piece of religion and a
horrid abonimation. For they sacrificed men as victims, and brought
to the altars children..., begging the favour of the gods by shedding
the blood..."

Ancient descriptions of the sacrificial sites were
described.

"Unlike the houses of the other idols, that of Moloch was
set outside the city. It was gigantic in form and had the head
of what appeared to be an ox, the hands stretched out as if to
receive something, the body was hollow inside. Before the idol,
there were seven temples, the first six of which were employed
for the sacrifice of various fowl and animals, the seventh reserved
for a human sacrifice."

Diodorus described the ritualistic sacrifice. First,
the devotee would kiss the image of Moloch. He would then make a
fire under the idol, which would quickly cause the hands of the
statue to become red-hot. A victim would then be placed in the hands
to suffer an agonizing death. His cries would be muffed by the drums.
While this was taking place, the prophets would dance around an
altar,

"with violent gesticulations, and, having excited themselves
to a pitch of frenzy by it, as well as by their fearful vociferations
they began to cut their bodies with knives and lancets. In this
unnatural state they began to prophesy, or rather rave, as if
possessed by some invisible power."

It was mentioned in the Old Testament that Jezebel
sacrificed to Moloch, and supported 450 of his prophets.

Several Biblical References include:

Leviticus 18:21
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to
Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the
LORD.

Leviticus 20:2
Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he
be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn
in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely
be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

Leviticus 20:3
And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off
from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto
Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.

Leviticus 20:4
And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from
the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him
not;

Leviticus 20:5
Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family,
and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to
commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

1 Kings 11:7
Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination
of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech,
the abomination of the children of Ammon.

2 Kings 23:10
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children
of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass
through the fire to Molech.

Jeremiah 32:35
And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley
of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters
to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not,
neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination,
to cause Judah to sin.

Amos 5:26
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your
images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

Acts 7:43
Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your
god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will
carry you away beyond Babylon

Watchers/Nephilim (Naphidim)

"When men began to increase on earth and daughters were
born to them, the divine beings saw how beautiful the daughters
of men were and took wives from among those that pleased them.
The LORD said, 'My breath shall not abide in man forever, since
he too is flesh; let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty
years.' It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim appeared
on earth - when the divine beings cohabited with the daughters
of men, who bore them offspring. They were the heroes of old,
the men of renown." - Genesis 6:1-4

This is the only account of the watchers in the
Bible. Isaiah 14:12-15 talks of the fall of the "day-star,
son of morning," which implies that there was a revolt, and
the "day-star" was cast into the abyss, but this may be
a reference to early Canaanite or Phoenician myths. (see Lucifer)
One other possible reference is Psalm 82.

"God standeth in the Congregation of God (El) In the midst
of gods (elohim) He judgeth All the foundations of the earth are
moved. I said: Ye are gods, And all of you sons of the Most High
(Elyon) Nevertheles ye shall die like men, And fall like one of
the princes (sarim) Psalm 82:1, 5-7

The parts of the Psalm I have left out are the
parts that refer to wicked earthly rulers, but it is agreed upon
by many scholars that this part of the Psalm refers to the fallen
angels. While Genesis 6 tells that angels married women, it does
not condemn this as a sin. Psalm 82 tells that the elohim sinned,
but does not tell how (i.e. it does not mention that they married
women). It may have been that the angels sinned by reproducing.
Certain passages in Jewish Midrash talk of how angels are immortal
and do not need to reproduce. Because humans are not, they must
reproduce in order to achieve immortality in their descendents.

This is a passage from Jewish midrash in which
Hannah is praying for a child at Shiloh:

"Lord of the Universe! The celestials never die, and they
do not reproduce their kind. Terrestrial beings die, but they
are fruitful and multiply. Therefore I pray: Either make me immortal,
or give me a son!"

A different interpretation of this passage concerning
the sin of the angels was that they revolted against God, and because
of this, they were cast down. Apocrypal texts give more complete
accounts of the fall of the angels.

1 Enoch gives an account of the fall of the Angels
from heaven. Chapter 6 talks of how the angels saw and lusted after
the daughters of men.

"In those days, when the children of man had multiplied,
it happened that there were born unto them handsome and beautiful
daughters. And the angels, the children of heaven , saw them and
desired them; and they said to one another, 'Come, let us choose
wives for ourselves from among the daughters of man and beget
us children.' And Semyaz, being their leader, said unto them,'I
fear that perhaps you will not consent that this deed should be
done, and I alone will become (responsible) for this great sin.'
But they all responded to him, 'Let us all swear an oath and bind
everyone among us by a curse not to abandon this suggestion but
to do the deed.' Then they all swore together and bound one another
by (the curse) And they were altogether two hundred;" - 1
Enoch 6:1-7

The angels descended on Mount Hermon during the
days of Jared. There were 19 leaders mentioned in 1 Enoch, who were
also called 'the chiefs of ten.' Once they reached the earth:

"they took wives unto themselves, and everyone (respectively)
chose one woman for himself, and they began to go unto them. And
they taught them magical medicine, incantations, the cutting of
roots, and taught them (about) plants. And the women became pregnant
and gave birth to great giants whose heights were three hundred
cubits. These (giants) consumed the produce of all the people
until the people detested feeding them. So the giants turned against
(the people) in order to eat them." - 1 Enoch 7:1-5

The Angels then taught women charms, enchantments,
the cutting of roots, and the knowledge of plants. They taught men
how to make various weapons and armor, and also arts and sciences.
These acts led to an increase in lawlessness and warfare. The men
of earth then cried out to heaven, and the 4 archangels (Michael,
Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel) cried out to God. In response, God
sent Uriel to warn Noah that there would soon be a flood that would
destroy the wickedness on earth.

Raphael was commanded to bind Azazel hand and foot,
and to cast him into the a hole in the desert (Duda'el) that the
Lord had made. Raphael threw rugged and sharp rocks and covered
Azazel's face so that he would not see light. Michael was commanded
to bound Semyaza and his associates in the valleys of the earth.
They will remain there until the day of judgment when he will be
cast into the fire.

The race of giants produced from this union gave
way to a brood of evil spirits. The evil spirits most likely are
the departed spirits of the giants, themselves. These spirits are
not material or corporeal beings, but they torment mankind because
they have proceeded from them. According to 1 Enoch, these spirits
will not be punished until the day of judgment, in contrast to the
Watchers, who are punished both before and on the day of judgment.

"But now the giants who are born from the (union of) the
spirits and the flesh shall be called evil spirits upon the earth,
because their dwelling shall be upon the earth and inside the
earth. Evil spirits have come out of their bodies. Because from
the day that they were created from the holy ones they became
the Watchers; their first origin is the spiritual foundation.
They will become evil upon the earth and shall be called evil
spirits. The dwelling of the spiritual beings of heaven is heaven;
but the dwelling of the spirits of the earth, which are born upon
the earth, is in the earth. The spirits of the giants oppress
each other, they will corrupt, fall, be excited, and fall upon
the earth, and cause sorrow. They eat no food, nor become thirsty,
nor find obstacles. And these spirits shall rise up against the
children of the people and against the women, because they have
proceeded forth (from them). - 1 Enoch 15

1 Enoch 19 also gives a variation to the origin
of demons. It implies that demons were already in existence during
the time of the fall of the angels. According to 1 Enoch 10-16,
the demons are the spirits which go forth from these angels.

"Here shall stand in many different appearances the spirits
of the angels which have united themselves with women. They have
defiled the people and will lead them into error so that they
will offer sacrifices to the demons as unto gods, until the great
day of judgment in which they shall be judged till they are finished."
- 1 Enoch 19:1

1 Enoch 85-90 gives a similar account of the fall
of the angels. In these passages, a star (either Semjaza or Azazel)
fell from heaven and began to pasture among the oxen (mankind).
A number of stars then fell and were transformed into bulls. They
began to cover the cows (the angels married mortal women), who then
gave birth to elephants, camels, and asses (the giants). The oxen
then became restless and began to fight, but they became prey to
the wild beasts. The archangels then appear in the disguise of men.
One seizes the first of the fallen stars and casts it into the abyss.
A second gives the elephants, camels, and asses a sword so that
they will slay each other. A third archangel stones the other fallen
stars and casts them into the gulf. The story then goes on to describe
the Maccabean revolt, which leads to a description of the final
struggle between good and evil.

It seems that there is a threefold aspect to the
sin of the Watchers in these accounts. First, it was a defilement
of the essence of the angels to marry and engage in sexual acts
with human women. Second, these unions between the angels and mortal
women were considered evil, themselves. Because of the Nephilim
and and evil created by these unions, God caused the great Flood
of Noah's time. Finally, the angels sinned because they taught humanity
and revealing the secrets of the natural universe which God did
not intend for man to know.

The Book of Jubilees gives another account of how
the Watchers fell that is similar to 1 Enoch. It explains that the
Watchers originally descended to the earth to teach mankind and
do what is just, but they 'sinned with the daughters of men because
these had begun to mix with earthly women so that they became defiled.'
(Jubilees 4:22)

Malalael "named [his son] Jared because during
his lifetime the angels of the Lord who were called Watchers descended
to earth to teach mankind and to do what is just and upright upon
the earth" - Jubilees 4:15

Jubilees also says that they were sent by God,
Himself.

"Against his angels whom he had sent to the earth he was
angry enough to uproot them from all their (positions of) authority"
- Jubilees 5:6

Jubilees tells an account of the fall of the angels
similar to that of 1 Enoch. God was displeased with the angels because
of their lust for the daughters of men. The union of the angels
and women is said to be the Nephilim.

"For it was on account of these three things [fornication,
uncleanness, and injustice - see Jubilees 7:20] that the flood
was on the earth, since (it was) due to fornication that the Watchers
had illicit intercourse - apart from the mandate of their authority
- with women. When they married of them whomever they chose they
committed the first (acts) of uncleanness. They fathered (as their)
sons the Nephilim. - Jubilees 7:21-22

In Jubilees, Mastema is the chief of the spirits.
As God commanded the angels to bind all the evil spirits, Mastema
came and asked the Lord that some of the spirits might be allowed
to remain with him to do his will. God granted his request and allowed
one tenth of the spirits to remain with Mastema, while the other
nine parts would be condemned.

"When Mastema, the leader of the spirits, came, he said:
'Lord creator, leave some of them before me; let them listen to
me and do everything that I tell them, because if none of them
is left for me I shall not be able to exercise the authority of
my will aong mankind. For they are meant for (the purposes of)
destroying and misleading before my punishment because the evil
of mankind is great.' Then he said that a tenth of them should
be left before him, while he would make nine parts descend to
the place of judgment." - Jubilees 10:8-9

2 Enoch also mentions a group of angels called
the Grigori, who are similar to the Watchers. Their prince is called
Satanail. A difference in this account as compared with the two
previous accounts is that only 3 angels came down to earth to take
wives and beget giants.

"These are the Grigori, who with their prince Satanail rejected
the Lord of light, and after them are those who are held in great
darkness on the second heaven, and three of them went down on
earth to the place Ermon, and broke through their vows on the
shoulder of the hill Ermon and saw the daughters of men how good
they are, and took to themselves wives, and befouled the earth
with their deeds, who in all times of their age made lawlessness
and mixing, and giants are born and marvellous big men and great
enmity. And therefore God judged them with great judgment, and
they weep for their brethren and they will be punished on the
Lord's great day." - 2 Enoch 18:3-4

In the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, the
fall of the angels is mentioned twice. One is only a brief reference
stating that the Watchers "changed the order of their nature."
(Naphtali 3:5) The second is in Reuben, where he accuses womankind
of seeking to ensnare men.

"Thus they allured the Watchers before the Flood, for as
these continually beheld them, they lusted after them and conceived
the act in their mind; for they changed themselves unto the shape
of men and appeared to them when they were with their husbands;
and the women, lusting in their minds after their forms, gave
birth to giants, for the Watchers appeared to them as reaching
up to heaven." (Reuben 5)

In this account, the writer denies that there was
a physical union between the angels and mortal women. He says that
the real fathers of the giants were humans, but the giants were
conceived from the mutal passion from angels and women.

Names and Misdeeds of the Fallen Angels (aka the
Five Satans) in 1 Enoch 69:4-12. (1 Enoch gives other lists of the
names of the fallen angels as well.) This passage is odd because
it mentions angels that are not mentioned elsewhere.

Yeqon - "one who misled all the children of the angels,
brought them down upon the earth, and perverted them by the daughters
of the people"

Asb'el - "one who gave the children of the holy angels
an evil counsel and misled them so that they would defile their
bodies by the daughters of the people"

Gader'el - "he who showed the children of the people all
the blows of death, who misled Eve, who showed the children of
the people (how to make) the instruments of death (such as) the
shield, the breastplate, and the sword for warfare, and all (the
other) instruments of death to the children of the people"

Pinem'e - "demonstrated to the children of the people the
bitter and the sweet and revealed to them all the secrets of their
wisdom. Furthermore he caused the people to penetrate (the secret
of) writing and (the use of) ink and paper"

Kasadya - "he who revealed to the children of the people
(the various) flagellations of all evil - (the flagellation) of
the souls and the demons, the smashing of the embryo in the womb
so that it may be curshed, the flagellation of the soul, snake
bites, sunstrokes, the son of the serpent, whose name is Taba'ta"

Enoch at Qumran (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/religion/judaism_enoch.asp) - Another essay I wrote on the Enochic
fragments found at Qumran.

Satan

Satan in the Old Testament and In Early Jewish
Apocryphal Writings
The name Satan is derived from a root meaning 'to oppose' or 'to
be or to act as an adversary.' In some cases, he is not necessarily
maleviolent and he may have even been sent by the Lord to prevent
worse harm (such as in Numbers). Examples of passages using this
early interpretation include:

"But God was incensed at his going; so an angel of the
LORD placed himself in his was as an adversary [Hebrew: satan]"
- Numbers 22:22

"He shall not march down with us to the battle, or else
he may become an adversary [Heb: satan] in battle." - 1 Samuel
29:4

"Appoint a wicked man over him; may an accuser [Heb: satan]
stand at his right side. - Psalm 109:6

Satan possesses no real demonic qualities in the
OT writings. He is mentioned as a distinct personality in 3 passages.
These passages are thought to be post-exilic and are dated between
519 and 300 BCE.

"He further showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing
before the angel of the LORD, and the Satan standing at his right
to accuse him." - Zechariah 3:1

Here, "Satan" becomes an official title
of a distinct personality, but it is not used as a proper name because
it is still used with the article "the."

"One day the divine beings presented themselves before the
LORD, and the satan came along with them. The LORD said to the
Adversary, 'Where have you been?' Satan answered the LORD, 'I
have been roaming all over the earth.' The LORD said to Satan,
"Have you noticed my servant Job?" - Job 1:6-8

In this passage, the Satan is the servant of God,
whose job is not only to accuse man, but he also urges God to test
Job. He does nothing without the permission of God. He appears along
with the other 'ben Elohim' (sons of God) implying that he is one
of the angel-ministers of Yahweh. Also, this passage shows that
while he acts in accordance with God's permission, he seems as if
he would be pleased if he could prove that Job wasn't as loyal to
God as God claimed. Despite this, he remains an angel.

"Satan arose against Israel and incited David to number
Israel." - 1 Chronicles 21:1

This passage is a later version of the passage
in 2 Samuel 24:1 "The anger of the LORD again flared up against
Israel; and He incited David against them, saying, 'Go and number
Israel and Judah.'" While the author attributes the census
to Satan, he insists that David was personally responsible for his
actions and therefore guilty of breaking God's law. Satan's substitution
for the Lord indicates that he was thought of as the destructive
power of God.

Rabbinic Literature gives two accounts for the
origin of Satan. The first is that Satan was created on the sixth
day at the same time as Eve. This ties in with the tradition that
Satan played some part in the fall of man. The second and more prevalent
tradition is that Satan is one of the fallen angels. Satan is identified
with Sammael and his deeds.

In T.B. Baba Bathra (16a), Satan is identified
with the Yetzer ha Ra, which is the 'evil impulse' in man. The Talmud
distinguishes between the personified Satan outside man, and the
Yetzer ha Ra that exists within man. It is this evil impulse within
man that allows Satan the opportunity to work his will against man.

Rabbinic writings also foreshadow the destruction
of Satan. T.B. Succah (52a) talks of the destruction of the evil
angel, while the Yalkut Jesaj (359) implies that Satan will be overthrown
at a future time by the Messiah, referring to Psalm 36:9.

The general belief is that there are a class of
satans with a chief Satan. For example, in 1 Enoch, there are 5
Satans. The first and second are said to have been responsible for
leading astray the angels and for bringing them down to earth, where
they sinned with the daughters of men (69:4), while the third brought
about the fall of Adam and Eve (69:6). The satans are allowed to
access heaven in order to accuse men, but they are not confined
to heaven.

Satan's Fall
Before the New Testament, there were many powers of evil, with Satan
existing alongside other demon chiefs. Satan did not become the
one supreme evil power until NT literature. Many of these apocryphal
books were written between the beginning of the first century BCE
and the end of the first century CE.

"By the envy of the devil death entered into the world,
And they that belong to his realm experience it." - Book
of Wisdom 2:24

This passage usually is interpreted to refer to
the temptation and fall of Eve. The following passages describe
this encounter. (It may also be noted that this passage could also
be interpreted as referring to Cain because according to Genesis,
physical death did not enter the world until Cain murdered Abel.)

2 Enoch explains that the angels were created on
the second day of creation and were assigned to various positions.
One of the angels, called Satanel, rebelled because he thought he
could become more powerful than God. God, therefore, threw him out
of heaven.

"But one from the order of the archangels deviated, together
with the division that was under his authority. He thought up
the impossible idea,that he might place his throne higher than
the clouds which are above the earth, and that he might become
equal to my power. And I hurled him out from the height, together
with his angels. And he was flying around in the air, ceaselessly,
above the Bottomless." - 2 Enoch 29:4-5

In his jealousy, Satanail decided to lead Adam
astray, even though he was aware of his own sinfulness. When his
plan worked, God cursed evil and ignorance, implying that it is
through man's ignorance of his own nature that is the root of sin,
not Satanail.

"And the devil understood how I wished to create another
world, so that everything could be subjected to Adam on the earth,
to rule and reign over it. The devil is of the lowest places.
And he will become a demon, because he fled from heaven; Sotona,
because his name was Satanail. In this way he became different
from the angels. His nature did not change, (but) his thought
did, since his consciousness of righteous and sinful things changed.
And he became aware of his condemnation and of the sin which he
sinned previously. And that is why he thought up the scheme against
Adam. In such a form he entered paradise, and corrupted Eve. But
Adam he did not contact. But on account of (her) nescience I cursed
them. But those whom I had blessed previously, them I did not
curse; (and those whom I had not blessed previously, even them
I did not curse) - neither mankind I cursed, nor the earth, nor
any other creature, but only mankind's evil fruit-bearing."
- 2 Enoch 31:3-7

The Apocalypsis Mosis tells of how Satan used the
serpent as a vessel to lead astray Adam and Eve. The serpent tells
him that he fears the Lord's wraith, but Satan convinces him that
he only has to be a vessel - it will be Satan speaking through him.

"And the devil spake to the serpent saying, Rise up, come
to me and I will tell thee a word whereby thou mayst have profit."
And he arose and came to him. And the devil saith to him: "I
hear that thou art wiser than all the beasts, and I have come
to counsel thee. Why dost thou eat of Adam's tares and not of
paradise? Rise up and we will cause him to be cast out of paradise,
even as we were cast out through him." The serpent saith
to him, "I fear lest the Lord be wroth with me." The
devil saith to him: "Fear not, only be my vessel and I will
speak through thy mouth words to deceive him." - Apocalypsis
Mosis 16

This book then mentions that it was the devil that
spoke through Eve that led Adam astray.

"For, when he came, I opened my mouth and the devil was
speaking, and I began to exhort him and said, "Come hither,
my lord Adam, hearken to me and eat of the fruit of the tree of
which God told us not to eat of it, and thou shalt be as a God."
- Apocalypsis Mosis 21:3

A similar account of the fall of Satan takes place
in the Books of Adam and Eve. These books give an account of how
Satan tempted and brought about the fall of Adam and Eve. In the
beginning, Satan is represented as being an angel of God. It then
explains that when Adam was formed in God's image, Michael commanded
the angels to worship him. Satan refused to do so because Adam was
inferior and younger then himself. He claimed that Adam should worship
him. Because of this, Satan and the other angels who refused to
worship Adam were banished from heaven. Satan then decided to bring
about the ruin of Adam and Eve. There is no reference to the Watchers
or the union of angels with women.

"And with a heavy sigh, the devil spake: 'O Adam! all my
hostility, envy, and sorrow is for thee, since it is for thee
that I have been expelled from my glory, which I possessed in
the heavens in the midst of the angels and for thee was I cast
out in the earth.' Adam answered, 'What dost thou tell me? What
have I done to thee or what is my fault against thee? Seeing that
thou hast received no harm or injury from us, why dost thou pursue
us?' The devil replied, 'Adam, what dost thou tell me? It is for
thy sake that I have been hurled from that place. When thou wast
formed. I was hurled out of the presence of God and banished from
the company of the angels. When God blew into thee the breath
of life and thy face and likeness was made in the image of God,
Michael also brought thee and made (us) worship thee in the sight
of God; and God the Lord spake: Here is Adam. I have made thee
in our image and likeness.' And Michael went out and called all
the angels saying: 'Worship the image of God as the Lord God hath
commanded.' And Michael himself worshipped first; then he called
me and said: 'Worship the image of God the Lord.' And I answered,
'I have no (need) to worship Adam.' And since Michael kept urging
me to worship, I said to him, 'Why dost thou urge me? I will not
worship an inferior and younger being (than I). I am his senior
in the Creation, before he was made was I already made. It is
his duty to worship me.' When the angels, who were under me, heard
this, they refused to worship him. And Michael saith, 'Worship
the image of God, but if thou wilt not worship him, the Lord God
will be wrath with thee.' And I said, 'If He be wrath with me,
I will set my seat above the stars of heaven and will be like
the Highest.' And God the Lord was wrath with me and banished
me and my angels from our glory; and on thy account were we expelled
from our abodes into this world and hurled on the earth. And straightway
we were overcome with grief, since we had been spoiled of so great
glory. And we were grieved when we saw thee in such joy and luxury.
And with guile I cheated thy wife and caused thee to be expelled
through her (doing) from thy joy and luxury, as I have been driven
out of my glory." - Vita Adae et Evae 12-16

These later accounts (Vita Adae et Evae and Apocalypsis
Mosis) give a much more highly developed concept of Satan, that
is close to the presentation of Satan in the New Testament. He appears
as the great enemy of mankind and God, and is directly associated
with the fall of Adam and Eve (which isn't the prominent teaching
of the New Testament, although Paul does mention it briefly in 2
Corinthians 11:3). The Apocalypsis Mosis also is one of the only
books to develop the idea that the Devil can take possession of
a person (the other being the the Book of Tobit in which Asmodeus
appears to take possession of Sarah).

Satan in the New Testament
In the New Testament, Satan emerges as the principle power of evil,
although there are still traces of earlier powers of evil such as
in the Synoptic gospels, Beelzebub, and in Paul's letters, Beliar
(2 Cor 6:15).

In Mark 3:22ff. the Scribes say of Jesus "'He
is possessed by Beelzebub,' and 'By the prince of demons he drives
out demons.'" Jesus then rebuts the statement by asking "How
can Satan drive out Satan?" This rebuttal seems to identify
Beelzebub with Satan, however it can be noted that there may be
two concepts here with Jesus identifying Satan with the prince of
demons and Beelzebub being a separate identity.

Both Matthew 12:24 and Luke 11:15 specify Beelzebub
as the prince of demons, however in Jesus' rebuttal, He mentions
both Satan and Beelzebub, implying the two are identical terms.

The first reference to Satan is in the temptation
of Jesus. Mark says that Jesus was 'tempted of Satan,' while Matthew
and Luke say that He was 'tempted of the devil.' (Mk 1:13, Mt 4:1-11,
Lk 4:2-13) The terminology used throughout the NT generally consists
of identifying Satan with the devil and the evil one. The parable
of the sower demonstrates this. Mark 4:15 uses 'Satan,' while Luke
8:12 uses 'the devil,' and Matthew 13:19 uses 'the evil one.' This
parable of how Satan comes and 'takes away the word which has been
sown in them' (Mk 4:15) is very similar to the parable in the Book
of Jubilees where the prince, Mastema (identified with Satan), sent
ravens and other birds to devour the seed which had been sown. (11:11ff.)

The Gospels speak of both demons and Satan as being
able to possess an individual. An example of an evil spirit taking
possession is the case of the woman who had a spirit of infirmity'
for eighteen years, which was attributed to her being 'bound' by
Satan (Lk 13:11ff.) Here, the condition of the woman is regarded
as being caused by demon possession, with Satan as the chief of
evil spirits. It is most often portrayed in the Gospels that when
a demon takes possession of an individual, it is usually by force
and the demonized are not regarded as willful sinners or as excessively
wicked people. However, when Satan is said to enter into a person,
the possession is not forceful, and the man is held accountable
for allowing Satan to influence him. Examples include when Jesus
addressed Peter by saying 'Get behind me, Satan.' (Mk 8:33, Mt 16:23)
and in Luke 22:3 and John 13:2, which both portray the betrayal
of Judas as an effect of Satan entering into Judas.

Also, only a few passages in the Synoptic Gospels
mention the final destruction of Satan. Luke 10:18 describes Jesus
saying 'I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven.' This may
refer to either the original fall of Satan from heaven or it may
imply that Jesus believed that the success of His disciples casting
out demons could symbolize a complete overthrow of Satan. The most
direct allusion in the Gospels is that found in Matthew 25:41 where
at the last judgment, Jesus will say to the wicked 'Depart from
me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels.'

In the book of Acts, the terms, 'Satan' and 'the
Devil' are used synonymously to portray the chief power of evil.
Acts regards Satan as an instigator of falsehood and deceit in the
story of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1ff) This agrees with the statement
in John which says that the devil tells lies.

"He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand
in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie,
he speaks in character because he is a liar and the father of
lies. - John 8:44

Acts also makes reference to Satan as the head
of the kingdom of evil. When Paul spoke to king Agrippa, he told
the king of how Jesus wanted him to preach to the Gentiles in order
"to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan unto God" (26:18)